Billings Central Wrestling completed yet another historic year, with the highest overall team score in their history. Rams Wrestling sent ten wrestlers to the tournament, nine of whom became podium finishers.
Freshman Johnny Foster took sixth due to a last-minute upset pin over Columbia Falls’s Kael Schaeffer in the blood rounds. Foster got a 19-0 technical fall in the round before over Park High’s Jackson Steen to put himself in position to place.
Junior DJay Wipf took third after a tough loss to Hardin’s Chris Grossman in the semifinals. Wipf came back with two straight wins afterwards, including a win over Laurel’s Michael Moorman in the third-place match.
Sophomore Kaius Rivera also took third, with a 16-0 tech fall over Miles City’s Steel Smith in the third-place match. Wipf and Rivera each finished off their seasons with a bow to the Billings Central spectator section.
Senior Aramis Rivera added another third-place finish for the Rams, wrestling one match before his brother, Kaius. Aramis opened the tournament with a fall in 1:27 over Butte Central’s Braydon Armstrong before dropping a hard-fought quarterfinal to Havre’s Brady Boucher. He responded with three consecutive wins: a victory over Laurel’s Kolter Burrows in the blood round, a win against former state champion Tyson Syth in the consolation semifinals, and a major decision over Miles City’s Will Merkel to secure third place. After his final win, Aramis made a tearful heart gesture toward the Billings Central crowd before embracing his brother.
Kaius and Aramis Rivera share a hug after Aramis wrestles his final match (Dane Mueller)
Five Rams advanced to the championship finals: juniors Owen Wegner and Xander McCann, senior Trystan Knight, and Lady Rams freshman Ashlyn McCann, and sophomore Emma Hernandez. Hernandez, the only returning finalist, came out strong in the semifinals, defeating second-ranked River Cote 14-7 after being pinned by Cote earlier in the season.
Ashlyn McCann came in hot as a freshman, going undefeated until her last match which she dropped in overtime to eighth-grader Cali Gorder from Wolf Point. Lady Rams wrestling, with their pair of second-place finishers, took twentieth in team score overall against full teams such as state champion Billings Senior.
Wegner finished his year with only three losses, all of which came against Lockwood’s William Alves, who finished the season as a 49-0 state champion. Xander McCann, Ashlyn’s brother, dominated his way to the finals before dropping a tough match against Stevensville’s undefeated Rowan Miller.
Knight dropped a 4-2 decision against Columbia Falls’s Blaise Cronk, who went viral on social media for proposing to his girlfriend following the championship match.
In the Class A team race, the Sidney/Fairview Eagles claimed first place, beating the Hardin Bulldogs by just two points. The Laurel Locomotives finished third, falling short of a third consecutive team title. In Class AA, Billings West’s Golden Bears secured their fourth straight championship, outpacing second-place Gallatin. West’s Makael Aguayo captured his fourth individual state title, becoming the school’s third four-time champion in the past three years.
Junior Owen Wegner secures a pin in the quarterfinals at the 2026 MHSA State Tournament (Dane Mueller)
In Class B/C, the Huntley Project Red Devils dominated their competition, winning their fifth consecutive team title by more than 100 points over runner-up Glasgow. The Red Devils advanced nine wrestlers to the finals, with six capturing individual championships. The Billings Senior girls’ team also won its fourth straight state title in dominant fashion.
Billings Senior’s Meadow Mahlmeister and Simms’ Hailey Peterson each captured their third state championships and will look to become the first girls to be four-time champions in Montana next year. Each title came by way of falls, with Peterson earning a pin in 1:38 over Billings West’s Payten Van Pelt, and Mahlmeister with a 49-second fall over Broadus’ Bonita Kinzer. Kinzer’s brother, Reuben, captured the boys’ heavyweight title in Class B/C.
Hardin sophomore Bruno Pallone captured the Class A title at 215 pounds, with a lightning fast fifteen second pin over Ronan’s Cooper Wayman. Pallone finished his season 44-0, with a 100% bonus point win rate. Pallone will look to become a four-time state champion in two years. Great Falls High School’s Cael Floerchinger captured his third state title at 126 pounds in Class AA with a technical fall over Helena Capital’s Wyatt Shull. Floerchinger, who is committed to wrestle for the Wyoming Cowboys, is the only wrestler in the state nationally ranked by FloWrestling and will look to earn his fourth title next season.
Congratulations to Rams Wrestling on a great season! Thank you seniors.
